Protective armor



. July, 3, 192s, 4 v A. E. TRolEL PROTECTIVE ARMOR Filed March 23, v 1927 INVENTQR.

TTORNEYS.

Patented July `3, 1928*.-`

fA'RT'HUn'E. TBOIEL, or BERKELEY, OALIFORNIA.

PROTECTIVE ARMOR." v

Application file d vlarch 23,l 1927. zSerial No. '177,565.

L',Thisiinventionrelates to am'etallic flexible armor and especially to an armored sole structure for shoes/bootsand the like wherebyzfpuncturing lof the. sole and injurytothe instance,` carpenters, particularly when worky,ing Ton. wooden buildings -are continuously l jumpingV or -climbin-g'down from sc-affolds r"and yladders and are continuously exposed Tto upturned nailswhile walking-about and "asfsuch are continuously exposed -to p un c- "turing of "the: vshoe solesandv injury lto y their feet.V fifnumberof attempts have been made to render shoe soles {puncture-proof against lnails' and'tlie like, for instance, a. continuous "steel iplafte'hasgfbeen placed and secured in ythe shoe'between the inner and outer sole or 'the. sole has Abeen made excessively hard 4"and thick. y `Attempts of this character have, however, -proven more or less impractical as the sole loses all flexibility and thefshoe becomes too stiff and `heavy for comfortable wear.

The object ofthe present inveiit-ion is to Y, generally improve and simplify the construction and operation, particularly of armored r shoes, to provide an armored sole which may be permanently secured in a shoe between the inner and outer solev or placed within the i shoe as an insole, to provide an armored sole which is flexible, to provide an armored sole consisting of steel strips which overlap each other so as to promote flexibility and so as to provide a double thickness of metal Y other and against accidental removal.

to prevent puncture;'and further to provide means wherebyl the steel strips `are held at cooperative position with relation to each The invention is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings in which z' Fig. lis a side elevation of a shoe showing the sole thereof in section, said view also showing the armored sole interposed between the inner and outer sole,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the armored sole vshowing its size with relation to the shoe sole,

Fig. 4K: is "an enlarged perspectivefviewzof aportionfo'f the armored sole.

Y Referring to the drawings in detail, :pary ticularly Fig. l, A indicates the quartersk1 zof a` shoe,. B the "counter, C the lieehfl)` `the vamp, thetoe. capand F the sole.l vThe soleusual'ly consists of an yinsole y2` secured ,tothewelt ofthe shoeand an outersole"l The ldescriptive matter so farsubmitted merely discloses a standard form `of .shoe

vand, describedmerely'for the y'purpose of. explaining'tlievsubj'ect matter ofv the pressl ent invention. They armored "sole forming'` .fthe subject Linatter'oftlie invention is vbe'st illustratedviiiFigs.y 2,3 and "4.' Itconsists of a piece' of fabric generally i'ndicatedat,GrA `which-iscut to the vshape of a sole. This fabricfisprovided with a series of upper-and lower 'transversely disposed pocket'sgsucuh I. as

n' is an'enlarged sectiontakenon lineVv 3&3, Flg. 27'

.shownI at 4 5, the pocketsfforming receptaclesfanchretainers for aseries of steel"` st-ripsextending crosswise ofthe fabric and the sole of the shoe. The p ocletsl and f5 formed 'inA the fabriczare so arranged that the 5 ,steel 'strips lwill overlie jeach .other z and form a laminated structure such :as shown i in F ige.

gland 4i.. fllhistisof material importance as `it permits comparatively -thiii fsteel .to

be l.employed it promotesflexibility-i and it furthermore presents a double layer of metal tol -prevent puncturing of the sole. The

pockets formed in the fabric are sufficiently` .separated as indicated at 7 to .maintain a slight separation between the adjoining steel strips in each layer and to permit free move--V ment of the steel strips-with relation to each other when the sole'bends, thereby further increasing flexibility. The pockets, i first of all, serve the function Ofmaintaining the steel strips in superposed arrangement.

They, secondly, secure the steel strips against movement with relation to Lthe longitudinal axis of the solo and the fabric also prevents endwise removal of the individual steel .strips as the 'fabric is preferably saturated with an adhesive such as iubbercement or the like. within the shoe in the form of an. insole and outer soles as shown in Fig.V l.- In

either instance the foot` is protected against The armored sole may be placed` 10.3l or it may be permanently securedk in the Asole of a shoe by placing it between the inner ice . vention are more or less sjaecically described illustrated in Fig. 1 will only permit puncturing of the sole until Contact is made with the steel strips. Further penetration is then prevented as the nail will either bend or flatten on the point due tothe double thickness of steel employed. The armored sole may run from the point of the shoe to the heel so as to cover the instep of the shoe or it may be extended in under the heel if desired as shown in Fig. l. The armored sole is preferably smaller than the main or outer sole as shown in F ig. 2, this being important as an ample edge or margin is thereby provided for the stitching or nailing whereby the outer soleis secured to the inner sole.

lVhile certain features of the present' inand indicated, l wish it understood that various changes may be resorted to within'the scope of the appended claims; similarly, that the materials and finish of the several parts employed may be such as the manufacturer may dictate or varying conditions or uses may demand.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. A flexible protective armorl consisting `of a plurality of superposed layers of metallic plates, said platesv being laid side by side in each layer with the plates in one layer staggered with relation to the plates in an adjacent layer and means whereby the plates in the respective layers are secured against displacement with relation to each other.

2. A flexible protective armor consisting `of a plurality of superposed layers of metallic plates, said plates being laid side by side in each layer with the plates in one layer staggered with relation to the plates in an .side by side in each layer and in rer/6,170

adjacent layer and flexible means securing the' plates side by side andin staggered relation. f

3. A flexible protective armor consisting of a. plurality of superposed layers of elongated comparatively narrow thin flexible steel strips, said strips being laid side by side in each layer with the strips in one layer staggered with relation to the strips in an adjacent layer and means securing the strips staggered relation. y

4L. A 'flexible protective armor consisting of a plurality of superposed layers of elongated comparatively narrow th'in flexible steel strips, said strips being laid side by side in each layer with the strips in one layer staggered with relation to the strips in an adjacent layer and a fabric retainer having Fin a plurality of superposed pocletsformed' therein, said fabric and pockets retaining the strips in each layer side by side and the superposed strips in staggered positionv with relation to the strips in an adjacent layer.

5. A flexible protective armor consisting of a plurality of superposed layers of elongated comparatively narrow thin flexible steel strips, said 'strips being laid side by side in each layer with the strips in one layer vstaggered with relation to the strips in an adjacent layer and a fabric retainer having a plurality of superposed pockets formed therein. said fabric and pockets retaining .the strips in each layer side by side and the snperposed strips in staggered rposition with relation to the strips in an adjacent layer, said fabric adapted 'to be impregnated with an adhesive to secure the strips against removal from the pockets.

ARTHUR Tnoiitii. 

